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Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a new zoonotic agent?

Methicillin resistenter Staphylococcus aureus: ein neuer Zoonoseerreger?

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Zusammenfassung

Staphylococcus aureus ist ein bedeutender Erreger von Infektionen, die in Krankenhäusern und Pflegeeinrichtungen erworben werden, und bei der Allgemeinbevölkerung. Ein Drittel der Gesamtbevölkerung ist mit Staphylococcus aureus kolonisiert, wobei das Risiko, an einer Infektion durch Staphylococcus aureus zu erkranken bei diesen kolonisierten Personen erhöht ist. Die weltweit zunehmende Antibiotikaresistenz von Staphylococcus aureus schränkt die Behandlungsmöglichkeiten von Infektionen ein und erschwert Kontrollmaßnahmen. Kurz nach Einführung des Methicillins wurde über die ersten Methicillin-resistenten Staphylococcus aureus Isolate (MRSA) berichtet. Während des letzten Jahrzehnts vollzog sich außerdem eine epidemiologische Verschiebung von den bisher dominierenden Krankenhaus assoziierten MRSA Stämmen hin zu in der Gemeinschaft erworbenen MRSA Stämmen (community acquired MRSA, CA-MRSA), welche Infektionen auch bei dem Teil der Bevölkerung hervorrufen, der keine Risikofaktoren durch Krankenhauskontakte hat. Basierend auf neueren Untersuchungen besteht für den Sequenztyp (ST) 398 eine kausale Verbindung zwischen einer MRSA Kolonisation im Viehbestand und der MRSA Besiedlung, sowie dem Auftreten von Infektionen, bei Tierzüchtern. In den Niederlanden wurde eine hohe Besiedlungsrate durch den MRSA ST398 bei Schweinen und Schweinehaltern festgestellt. Weltweite Berichte über den Nachweis von ST398 MRSA verdeutlichen, dass das Auftreten des neuen Subtyps kein spezifisch holländisches Problem darstellt. In Österreich konnte der MRSA Sequenztyp 398 in Staubproben von Schweinezuchtbetrieben und aus Lebensmitteln isoliert werden. Seit dem ersten Auftreten des Sequenztyps ST398 als Infektionserreger beim Menschen in Österreich im Jahre 2006 konnten 21 Humanisolate nachgewiesen werden, wovon allerdings nur ein geringer Teil mit Infektionen assoziiert war. MRSA müssen zukünftig auch als zoonotisches Agens betrachtet werden, wobei der Nutztierbestand ein bedeutendes Reservoir darstellt. Weitergehende Untersuchungen sind nötig, um Kontrollmaßnahmen erarbeiten und implementieren zu können.

Summary

Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of infection in hospitals and the community. One third of the general population is colonized by the bacterium, constituting a risk factor for acquisition of infection with this pathogen. Worldwide, the increasing antibiotic resistance of S. aureus complicates treatment of infection and control measures. Soon after the introduction of methicillin, the first isolates resistant to this antibiotic were reported and named methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). During the past decade a major change in MRSA epidemiology has been observed: whereas in the past MRSA was almost exclusively regarded a hospital pathogen, the advent of community-acquired MRSA has led to infections in people without hospital-related risk factors. Recent evidence has also identified a link between colonization of livestock and MRSA carriage and infections in people who work with animals. Screening of pigs and pig farmers in the Netherlands revealed high prevalence of MRSA sequence type (ST) 398 and it has become clear that the emergence of ST398 is not just a Dutch problem, as reports on livestock colonization and human infections are appearing worldwide. In Austria, the ST398 lineage has been detected in dust samples from pig breeding facilities and in food samples. Since the first Austrian detection of this emerging lineage in 2006, 21 human isolates, partially associated with infections, have been observed. MRSA has to be regarded as a new emerging zoonotic agent and livestock may constitute a growing reservoir of the ST398 lineage. More information is needed so that control measures to reduce the impact of the emerging MRSA ST398 lineage on public health can be developed and implemented.

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Correspondence to Burkhard Springer.

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Springer, B., Orendi, U., Much, P. et al. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a new zoonotic agent?. Wien Klin Wochenschr 121, 86–90 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-008-1126-y

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